Coromandel Explorer Walk

A Unique View Of The Coromandel Peninsula

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Enjoy 4 fabulous days on the lush Coromandel Peninsula on the Coromandel Explorer Walk.
Walk through native kauri forests, visit idyllic beaches and bays, see an abandoned gold mine, and enjoy stunning views from The Pinnacles!

This tour offers great walking, great company, and home-made meals at an excellent lodge.

Day One: Coromandel Walks

3-4 hours walking (Lunch, Dinner)

We'll pick you up from Rotorua at approx. 8:30am, or Matamata at 9:30am. Warm up with a 4km hike to the top of Wairere Falls, and view the verdant Waikato basin from two lookouts over hanging 90 metres of thunderous waterfall.

As we continue north, enjoy views out over the mussel farms of the Hauraki Gulf from one of New Zealand’s classic coastal drives, the Coromandel west coast. Make a brief stop at Waiomu for refreshments before exploring the Waiomu Kauri Grove - this little known trail heads deep into a protected ecological reserve scattered with majestic Kauri trees – New Zealand’s very own forest giants that grow up to 50 metres tall. Drive further up the Coromandel Peninsula in the late afternoon to reach your lovely accommodation, and watch the sunset from the verandah with a glass of wine or ice cold brew.

Day 2: Coromandel Peninsula (North to Mt Moehau)

This morning, wake to the sound of the birds and enjoy a wonderful continental breakfast on the verandah of your accommodation.

Later we'll drive to the Peninsula's northern tip to walk one of New Zealand's best coastal tracks. There's some climbing involved, rewarded with great views over the Pacific Ocean to Great Barrier Island and sacred, forest-covered Mt Moehau. We'll then continue through farmland and native bush to remote and lovely Stony Bay. All the way, you'll enjoy the great views Coromandel walks are known for.

Later, you'll return to the lodge to relax over dinner and drinks.

Day 3: Kauaeranga Valley

Today: the Kauaeranga Valley, east of Thames, which follows the Kauaeranga River. The valley is home to the Pinnacles range (759 m). The entire Peninsula was once a chain of volcanic cones. These have eroded to form the spectacular outcrops present now. Miners and loggers made the tracks you will walk on today, to create a path for supplies to be brought via horseback.

We'll climb The Pinnacles trail through regenerating kauri past a well-preserved kauri dam. Near the top of the range: The Pinnacles Hut. At the crest: an amazing panoramic 360° view of the whole peninsula and beyond.

We'll celebrate our day's walking with a fabulous meal at one of the Coromandel's great restaurants.

Day 4: Coromandel Peninsula to Rotorua

This morning we visit one of the top twenty beaches in the world, New Chums Beach. An unforgettable white sand, crescent moon-shaped beach, fringed by pohutukawa and nikau palms. Finding a secluded beach with no signs of man is an experience not to be missed.

We head into the laid-back coastal town of Whitianga to catch a short ferry across the harbour and walk towards Shakespeare’s Cliff, which overlooks the beach where Captain Cook first set foot on New Zealand shores. Enjoy amazing views over Mercury Bay and Cooks Beach.

We’ll stop for a picnic lunch above the spectacular Cathedral Cove, before walking down to the amazing natural archway, a must visit for anyone coming to the Coromandel.

We’ll drop you off in Matamata or Rotorua relaxed and refreshed, with some fantastic memories!**This tour is run in conjunction with another operator.

Days One, Two and Three

*Please note Single supplement is an extra $200 per person. Ensuite upgrade is an extra $120 per room (subject to availability).

Food

You will enjoy great local cuisine; continental breakfasts and hearty packed lunches during the day, and either restaurant meals or wholesome home-cooked fare prepared by your host/hostess in the evenings.

If you have any dietary issues or food allergies, we are happy to cater for these, please advise the office of details when you make your booking.

All meals, snacks, pre-dinner drinks and nibbles are included . Wine and other beverages are available to be purchased during dinners.

Fully Guided

Our guides are very experienced, friendly walkers and bikers who love to share their knowledge of New Zealand’s flora and fauna and local history. They all hold current first aid certificates, passenger driving licences and are the very best people to ensure your experience will be one to remember.

Staff induction day

End of season staff function

Safety and Risk Management

To ensure maximum safety for all, our guides are certified first aiders and fully qualified drivers. Tuatara Tours operate under a Safety and Risk Management Plan which is regularly audited and approved by a qualified and independent auditor.

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Coromandel Explorer Walk

People

Early Maori: Around 1250–1300 Maori arrived in the Coromandel. Being extremely rich in fish and building materials the area proved very popular and was soon settled. Maori from the area provided vast amounts of food for their neighbours in Auckland during the 1840’s and 1850’s.

Europeans: From the 1830's British ships arrived and Europeans started to mill native timbers which were much sought after for the ship building industry. The Europeans freely traded with local Maori. They bartered with the Maori for food and labour in return for muskets and tools.

Flora and Fauna

Flora: The Coromandel has a real mix of vegetation from sub tropical through to sub alpine.On the summits sub-alpine plants are found, and just below are vast areas of regenerating conifer–broadleaf forests. Little of the original Coromandel forests survive today.

Fauna: The Coromandel Peninsula has some very rare and different fauna. Found only in the northern Coromandel is a strange and rare insect - the Moehau Stag Beetle, which hides away in moist and secluded environments. NZ only has four native frogs one of which is called Archey’s frog. Archey’s frogs are found in the Coromandel but are very elusive and rare.

Coromandel Harbour is the site of a breeding programme for the endangered North Island weka. It is also one of the homes of the reef heron.

Possums, pigs and goats are plentiful all of which provide hunters with plenty of options.

NZ Weka!

Kauri Tree Stump!

Archey's Frog

Industry

Kauri Timber and Gum: Kauri trees dominated the Coromandel in early years until they were all milled for their beautiful honey coloured timber much prized by the European settlers. By the late 1800s most kauri trees were cut down. Kauri gum was then dug out of the ground for making things such as varnish.

Gold mining: The region was rich in gold, but mining ended in most parts of the region in the 1920s. It started again in 1987.

Farming and Tourism: Very important industries in the Coromandel region today.